By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
BATON ROUGE — In the wake of another senseless and cowardly attack on law enforcement early Sunday morning in which two Baton Rouge police officers and East Baton Rouge Sheriff Deputy were shot and killed and three more were wounded, Col. Mike Edmonson, head of the Louisiana State Police, requested prayers at a 3 p.m. news conference.
“We want and need your prayers,” Edmonson said. “Baton Rouge is in need of your prayers right now.”
The shooting, which happened near Airline and Old Hammond highways and just over a mile from Istrouma Baptist Church, took place around 9 a.m. Sunday.
One suspect is dead according to media reports coming from various outlets in Baton Rouge. The shooter has been identified by law enforcement officials as Gavin Long, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri.
The shooting is the second fatal shooting of police officers this month and comes in the midst of ongoing protests in Baton Rouge following the fatal officer-involved shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5. On July 7, a lone gunman gunned down five police officers and wounded 12 others in an ambush before being killed.
“This is such a tragedy that has befallen our city,” Pastor Jay Avance of First Baptist Church Baker posted on his Facebook page. “Please pray for the fallen officer’s families, pray for our officers serving right now, and the pray for our officer’s families because this is very hard on them as well.
“Pray for our community, pray the Spirit of God will bring His peace over our city today,” he continued. “Thank you Boys in Blue, may we Back the Badge and lift each on up in prayer, and thank you all for what you do for our community by keeping us safe, God Bless!”
Southern Baptist churches in Baton Rouge area will have multiple chances to minister to the family in the days ahead.
Thomas Shepard, pastor of the Church at Addis, and members of his congregation have already been able to minister to one of the victim’s families. Shephard said one of the law enforcement officers killed in Sunday morning’s shooting was the uncle of some children who had attended Vacation Bible School recently at the church.
“I just prayed with the sister-in-law,” Shepard said Sunday afternoon. “We let her know we could meet with her sister (whose husband was one of the officers killed today), or their children to provide grief counseling and whatever else they might need.”
Joshua Spinks, pastor of the Way Church in Denham Springs, posted on his Facebook page a plea for prayer.
“I’ll will be at the church tonight praying for our city, for our parish, for our state at 6:00. Please join me. Let The Way Church seek God in how we respond to our hurting community.”
Pastor Jeff Ginn began Istrouma’s morning services with prayer.
“Please join us in praying for law enforcement officers and their families,” he wrote on Facebook. “Also pray for healing in our city and our nation … #prayforbr.”
Pastor Brian Crain of Progression church posted this on his Facebook page, “May we be known for courage and not cowardice. May we courageously LOVE one another this week Baton Rouge.”
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards went to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center to meet with victims and victims’ families Sunday morning after getting word of the shooting. He asked for prayer for the officers and their families.
“This is an unspeakable and unjustified attack on all of us at a time when we need unity and healing,” Edwards said in a statement. “Rest assured, every resource available to the State of Louisiana will be used to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.
“For now, I’m asking all Louisianans to join Donna and me in praying for the officers who were involved and their families as the details continue to unfold,” Edwards said.
At a 3 p.m. news conference, Edwards, who was joined by top officials for a press conference, said “We have to do better,” Edwards said. “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and the people who carried out this act, the individuals, they do not represent the people of Baton Rouge or the estate of Louisiana or what’s best about our country they don’t represent the values we stand for.”
Stephen Young, pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, said despite the incident this morning, he has experienced increased kindness among people of different races in the city this past week.
“While we attempt to draw together as a city, in church we recognize an even greater call,” he said. “The gospel calls Christians to display a peculiar unity in the world.
“We know that the unity that comes from being the family of God is greater than any earthly motive for division. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. When the world sees this unity, this love, they will see that we truly are His disciples.”
Tommy Middleton, director of missions for the Baptist Association of Greater Baton Rouge, said a prayer service will take place at 4 pm on July 24 at FBC Baton Rouge.
“There are problems we can’t solve but through prayer,” Middleton said. “All that is happening is a revelation of wickedness in our society.”
